Ocean Explorer Robert Ballard

Since the 1970s, Robert Ballard has been traveling the world’s oceans, making one earth-shattering discovery after another, from the scientifically revolutionary discovery of the first life to exist without using energy from the sun, to culturally significant expeditions to locate the wrecks of Titanic, Bismarck, and more. Today he orchestrates a global team of experts, ships, and robots continually pushing into realms that no one has visited before. Photo by Emory Kristof/NGS

Since the 1970s, Robert Ballard has been traveling the world’s oceans, making one earth-shattering discovery after another, from the scientifically revolutionary discovery of the first life to exist without using energy from the sun, to culturally significant expeditions to locate the wrecks of Titanic, Bismarck, and more. Today he orchestrates a global team of experts, ships, and robots continually pushing into realms that no one has visited before.